Scared Bootecki 👻

Chicago taxpayers paid $295M to settle lawsuits tied to 272 police officers with repeated misconduct claims from 2019–2024, my latest w/ @heathercherone.bsky.social shows. New report, only at @wttw.bsky.social 👇

Eighteen women from Logan Correctional Center recently celebrated earning their bachelor’s degrees from Northwestern University, marking a historic milestone.

FULL STORY: Chicago’s top financial officials on Monday defended Mayor Brandon Johnson’s plan to hike corporate taxes to close the city’s 2027 budget gap while borrowing $481 million to cover the cost of resolving lawsuits alleging police misconduct. @wttw.bsky.social

The allegations at Cornell and UChicago have prompted a series of protests and increased programming around sexual violence prevention on college campuses locally and around the country.

The final group of candidates seeking to deny Mayor Brandon Johnson a second term each filed tens of thousands of signatures to officially get on the Feb. 23 ballot, solidifying the race for Chicago mayor.

Chicago’s top financial officials defended Mayor Brandon Johnson’s plan to hike corporate taxes to close the city’s 2027 budget gap while borrowing $481 million to cover the cost of resolving lawsuits alleging police misconduct.

Plans to convert a Bridgeport railyard into an Amtrak maintenance facility will receive an environmental review as part of the permitting process, a reversal after the project originally qualified for a categorical exclusion.

What's the most underrated Chicago suburb? Tell us why. Your response could be included in our newsletter, Daily Chicagoan. Subscribe here: to.wttw.com/4axsYlD

NEW: A Chicago police officer who shoved a woman who called 911 for help after her boyfriend beat and suffocated her more than six years ago will not be fired by city officials, according to records published Thursday. @wttw.bsky.social news.wttw.com/2026/10/26/c...

A former Evanston alderwoman has spent years trying to answer a question that has vexed the United States since the abolition of slavery: What would it actually look like to repair the damage?

A new pilot program aims to bring childhood lead testing directly to communities on the South Side, the Chicago Department of Public Health announced Monday. https://to.wttw.com/47CoUhx

The Chicago Police Department is probing whether members misused their access to a system owned by an outside law-enforcement agency that automatically reads drivers’ license plates, officials announced.

A Chicago police officer who pushed a woman who had called 911 for help after her boyfriend beat and suffocated her more than six years ago will not be fired by city officials, according to records.

Chicago Tonight | Week in Review: Mayoral Hopefuls File Signatures; Johnson Unveils Budget Proposal, with @heathercherone.bsky.social @sophiesherry.bsky.social @sashaannsimons.bsky.social @alexnitkin.bsky.social & host @brandisfriedman.bsky.social

BREAKING: The Chicago Police Department is probing whether members misused their access to a system owned by an outside law-enforcement agency that automatically reads drivers’ license plates, officials announced late Friday afternoon. @wttw.bsky.social

BREAKING: Mayor Brandon Johnson made his bid to become the second Black man to be reelected Chicago mayor official Friday afternoon, telling reporters he had gathered 33,000 signatures from Chicago voters to qualify for the Feb. 23 ballot. @wttw.bsky.social

John C. Reilly has had a storied career — from pulling at people’s heartstrings in the film adaptation of the musical “Chicago” to making comedy classics like “Step Brothers.” Now, he’s touring with his own vaudeville show aptly named “Mister Romantic. https://to.wttw.com/4iCwy1y

NEW: 4 of the CPD officers who pulled over Dexter Reed and killed him in a barrage of gunfire after he fired at officers in March 2024 violated the constitutional rights of another Chicagoan less than a month before the fatal shooting and should be suspended, records show. @wttw.bsky.social

Chicago DJ Sam Chatman, known as the Godfather of Steppin’ who named the popular dance style, has died. He was 85.

Actor John C. Reilly has had a storied career — from pulling at people’s heart strings in the film adaptation of the musical “Chicago” to making comedy classics like “Step Brothers.” Now, he’s touring with his own vaudeville show aptly named “Mister Romantic.”

Senado de EE. UU.: WTTW News presentó un programa especial en vivo con la participación de Juliana Stratton, del Partido Demócrata, y Don Tracy, del Partido Republicano

Chicago DJ Sam Chatman, known as the Godfather of Steppin’ who named the popular dance style, has died. He was 85. https://to.wttw.com/4zLesA2

State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke is defending Cook County’s ban on assault weapons, saying it “passes constitutional muster” as the U.S. Supreme Court is set to take up a challenge to that law later this year. https://to.wttw.com/4slKNv0

Trump's Office for Civil Rights stopped making pending school discrimination investigations public. So @propublica.org sued for the case data, and now we've made it available to all. www.propublica.org/article/civi...

Arts Beat: If you’re not a summer person for all its sunshine and heat, this is the season for you to experience all the art and culture the city has to offer. Here’s what’s on our calendar this weekend.

Elevated train service in the Loop will be suspended this weekend for track maintenance, affecting service on the Brown, Green, Orange and Pink lines, the Chicago Transit Authority announced.

NEW: ProPublica sued the federal government for records that show which schools are facing civil rights investigations — data that was public before Trump’s second term. Now you can use our database to find cases.

Chicago Public Schools officials on Wednesday announced that the most recent class of seniors achieved an 83.4% graduation rate. That’s double the district’s graduation rate from 2001, CPS CEO Macquline King said. https://to.wttw.com/4yKynyw

FULL STORY: Mayor Johnson unveiled his proposed 2027 spending plan Wednesday, seeking to frame the debate over the $17.6B budget as a choice between the status quo that has left too many Chicagoans scrambling to make ends meet and enriching those who need it the least. @wttw.bsky.social

Chicago-area Live Music Recommendations: WTTW News producer Josh Terry presents must-see live music shows from indie rock to jazz, country, hip-hop and more

U.S. Senate candidate forum: Democratic Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton and former Illinois Republican Party chair Don Tracy square off

Once again, we have a stellar News Night planned

Good morning from Chicago City Hall, where Mayor Brandon Johnson has arrived to deliver his budget address for what will be the final time in his first term. Supporters in the gallery are chanting "four more years" as he begins the meeting 41 minutes late. Follow along, yes? @wttw.bsky.social

A new report aims to shed light on the structural barriers fueling the cycle of incarceration in North Lawndale on Chicago’s West Side, while also offering a potential blueprint on what it takes to improve outcomes for people who were formerly incarcerated.

Mayor Brandon Johnson proposed borrowing $481M to cover the soaring cost of lawsuits alleging Chicago police officers committed a wide range of misconduct as part of the city’s 2027 budget. (via @heathercherone.bsky.social)

IL US Senate forum: Democratic Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton and Republican Don Tracy faced off in their lone forum over a host of issues, including immigration enforcement, tariffs and the minimum wage.

Election Day is just two weeks away, and WTTW News has one more live televised candidate forum for candidates on the ballot for the 2026 general election. Here's where you can watch: https://to.wttw.com/4ieCf4p

Early voting is open, and if you need more intel on the U.S. Senate race for Illinois before you cast a ballot, you can watch the @wttw.bsky.social Forum tonight in a variety of places. It goes live at 8 pm.

Lower Wacker Drive might be the bane of the uninitiated Chicago motorist. But the underground road has a history dating back to 1909.

Two of Shedd Aquarium’s female rescued beluga whales have finally been reunited with their offspring after being separated for years at the defunct Marineland park in Canada. https://to.wttw.com/4yWixBx

BREAKING: Chicago will begin testing a new gunshot detection system in six South and West side police districts within the next two weeks, a top aide to Mayor Brandon Johnson is set to tell a key City Council panel. @wttw.bsky.social

One person is in custody after allegedly firing a gun in downtown Chicago near the Kluczynski Federal Building, authorities said.

The federal government is planning to dramatically shrink its most influential health survey, and some researchers worry that the changes will underestimate how many Americans are disabled.

A pair of Chicago public schools on the city’s North Side have been named as the top elementaries in the state, according to a new ranking.

U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi called for a federal hate crime investigation into the suspect’s plot, saying an investigation can direct attention to the rise in hate faced by many communities. news.wttw.com/2026/10/19/i...

About 85% of workers represented by UNITE HERE Local 1 voted to authorize a strike after more than 7,000 workers across 46 Chicago hotels were left without a contract as of Sept. 1. The workers include room attendants, cooks, dishwashers and other hospitality workers.

The union representing nearly 1,500 City Colleges of Chicago faculty and professional staff announced it reached a tentative contract agreement overnight to stave off a work stoppage slated to begin Monday. https://to.wttw.com/4yY4jQC